By: D. A. Slinkard
You are reading this, and an election has occurred. My prediction is that some people are happy, some people are plain mad; one side is screaming about voter fraud, while the other side is smiling with a big grin on their face. Ultimately though, the results may come as a surprise for many, but the winner has not surprised God. I have given into the idea that no matter who wins and who loses, the Lord Jesus Christ is still the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
As my pastor has said many times, “God will either give us what we need, or He will give us what we deserve.” It is a very valid point that was made, and we will reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7 reads, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Another nugget from God’s Word which has so much truth packed in it from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation.
My question to you becomes – What are you sowing and what will you reap in your own life? Many times, we have bad things happen to us; and as much as we like to blame external factors, the reality is that our main problem is the person who stares back at us in the mirror. Our own actions, our own behaviors, are what create the roadblocks we see in our lives. If we could just fix that person staring back at us, we could alleviate many of the problems we face.
Reaping what we sow is an astute observation, but many times, we fail to realize the negativity stemming from our own actions. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If the alcoholic continues to hang out in bars, continues to buy the booze, he will continue to make the wrong decisions. If he continues to sow wrong, he will continue to reap bad things happening in his life.
It really does not matter what vice we are talking about — whether it is drinking, smoking cigarettes, doing drugs, etc. — the same theory is prevalent. You sow the wrong things, and you will reap the negative benefits. The same can be said for the positives in life; you do the right things, and you will continue to receive the right kind of reaping.
For instance, you think positive and you will see positive results. I am amazed how easy it is to change the world around us by changing our thought pattern. Now, I realize that just thinking positive is not going to keep the weeds out of your life. Believe me, the weeds will grow; but if you can adjust your way of thinking, you will find it easier to tend to your garden (your life). Maybe there are other areas where you know you have been reaping what you have been sowing. It could be in your attitude with others, the way you respond to criticism, or it could even be the way you speak to your spouse.
What you sow, you will reap. Sow good and you will reap good. Sow bad and you will reap bad. It sounds like a simple concept; yet, we often reap the bad things in life because we do not know how to sow good things. Our nation is reaping today what we have sown so many years ago. Our harvest is coming to fruition, and I can tell you that there is some bad fruit being harvested. Why? We have gotten it wrong with our thinking.
My success in life is because of God. My failures in life are because of me. How do you turn a failure into a positive? Learn from it. If you learn from a failure, then you have gotten an education, which then becomes a blessing from God. Throughout my lifetime, I have received many blessings from God; and the most important blessing of all has been my salvation through Jesus Christ. My second biggest blessing is, without a doubt, my wife. What has God blessed you with? If you think about everything in your life, it should not be hard to come up with some blessings — whether it be your salvation, your spouse, or an educational moment in your life. We will reap what we sow, but life’s events may catch us off guard. However, they do not take God by surprise. Jesus is still By: the King of the world.
By: D. A. Slinkard
